Conveyer with self-unloading cars for various-size loads



CONVEYER WITH SELFLUNLOADING CARS FOR muons-sun LOADS Filed Feb. 13, 1963 May 25, 1965 n. K. SUCKANOV 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 25, 1965 D. K. SUCKANOV 3,185,287

CONVEYER WITH SELF-UNLOADING CARS FOR VARIOUS-SIZE LOADS Filed Feb. 13, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5"

May 25, 1965 D. K. SUCKANOV 3,185,287

' CONVEYER WITH SELF-UNLOADING CARS FOR VARIOUS-SIZE LOADS Filed Feb. 13, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 25, 1965 o. KLSUCKANOV CONVEYER WITH SELF-UNLOADING CARS FOR VARIOUS-SIZE LOADS Filed Feb. 13, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 4 III/11111111111111 INN y 25, 1965 D. K. SUCKANOV 3,185,287

CONVEYER WITH SELF-UNLOADING CARS FOR YARIOUS-SIZE LOADS Filed Feb. 13, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 .llll 52 y 25, 1965 D. K. sucKANov 3,185,287

CONVEYER WITH SELF-UNLOADING CARS FOR VARIOUS-SIZE LOADS Filed Feb. 13, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent CGNVE The invention relates to improvements in conveyors provided with load carrying cradles or cars constructed and arranged for a vertical and horizontal movement of loads of various sizes and shapes and in particular the movement of books to various levels.

The cradles or the cars of such conveyors are of the self-unloading type for which purpose the same have been equipped with load-carrying tables arranged therein, with the tables being movable in a vertical plane to operate unloading means and position the loads at the level of the load-receiving means for unloading. The proposed conveyor with the self-unloading cars permits the handling of ditferent loads of various sizes without the use of special conveyors and provides for a horizontal position of the loads throughout the entire conveying path, a load receiving means arranged exteriorly of the conveyor shaft does not require driving means and to provide for the unloading of the descending section or" the conveyor without stopping the conveyor movement, the tables of the conveyor are equipped with brackets or equivalent members which are counterparts to themoving stops provided at the unloading locations to keep the table at a position of rest during the unloading c cle.

To preset an address for the automatic unloading, the cars have been provided with means for controlling the units installed at corresponding locations for unloading to actuate the stops.

According to the present invention, these means may be defined by spring-loaded pins provided with push buttons so that when the buttons are depressed, the pins press with their stems upon the starting apparatus of the driving mechanism of the stops. In a depressed position, the pins are fixed with the aid of locking strips mounted on the car and, by means of springs, are linked with the table and interact with thrust washers for the pins.

To allow the car table to be stopped by the moving stop with the drive of the stop actuating mechanism used only to displace the stop from its original position, the mechanism is designed in the form of a four-link unit comprising a spring-loaded rocker arm, a link and a lever whereby an electromagnetic pusher is activated for the very short period of time required for turning the rocker arm. Thereafter, the rocker arm contacts a deflecting programming bar of the car thus taking up the load and transferring the same from the table to the lever of the mechanism. 7

The car unloading is achieved with the assistance of a flexible member such as a belt, chain, rope or the like or a lever mechanism arranged on the table and in the car frame. In case a belt is used, one end of the belt is wound about a drum which incorporates a spiral torsion spring, or which is linked suitably to a return counterweight. The belt wound about the drum consequently runs over the fore roller of the table, a roller secured at the lower part of the car body and other end of the belt being hinged to the bottom of the table frame.

To prevent a spontaneous dropping of the table due to its own weight, after completion of the unloading (as it may cause an undesired slackening or jamming of the belt or of some other flexible member), the table is provided with a hydraulic damper for impeding its downward movement.

Adjacent the driving and take-up units, the chains are "ice trained about parallel sprockets placed diagonally and fastened to the cars approximately along the diagonal of the car body cross-section.

With a view or reducing the overall dimensions and simplifying the driving unit, the cars are attached to the chains approximately at the middle of the height of such cars and due to such a position of the attaching members, gear wheels fitted on the shafts of the chain sprockets may be driven by gears secured on a single common shaft which is located midway of the conveyor shaft.

Moreover, this suspension essentially improves the working conditions of the car frame, and results in a decrease in its weight.

The upper and lower sections of the cars or the con-- veyor are provided with stops which are urged together if the chain breaks or becomes too loose. This arrange ment prevents the need to use special, rather complex non-collapsible pull chains or provide rigid guides for the chains along the full length of the conveying path. The guides should be provided only at the lower tension sprockets and at the distance of one spacing of the cars where the cars shift laterally relative to one another while travelling from one conveyor track to the other.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following detailed description and annexed drawings, in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a general view in elevation and partly broken away of the conveyor.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing an arrangement of the conveyor carsin the vicinity of the lower take-up means.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the conveyor driving means.

H6. 4 is a side elevational view of the loading-unloading station of the conveyor.

PEG. 5 is a plan view 01' the conveyor loadingunloading station.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the conveyor car.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the car.

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the car viewed from the side or" the conveyor shaft.

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the means for prese 'ing the destination for the car.

FIG. 10 is a detailed view partly in elevation and partly in cross-section of the pressure pin locking unit of the means shown in FIG. 9, the View being on a larger scale.

FIG. 11 is a view partly in elevation and partly in crosssection of the table damper.

PEG. 12 is a front elevational view of the unloading stop mechanism.

FIG. 13 is a view in side elevation of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the stop mechanisms before the start of the unloading, with the electromagnet inactivated.

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the stop mechanisms also before the start of the unloading, but with the electromagnet activated.

' FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the posiandtion of the car mechanism in the initial stage of unloading, and; a

FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIG. 16 showing the position of the mechanism and the car in the final stage of unloading.

The conveyor described herein is mounted in a vertical shaft to convey books upwardly and downwardly.

The main components of the conveyor (FIG. 1) include a driving unit 1, a take-up unit 2, car guides 3 mounted in the shaft and a load-carrying member formed by two vertical endless chains having cars 4 attached thereto. At various locations along the height of the shaft loading-unloading stations are provided (FIGS. 4-5) for the loading and unloading of the books. Each of the cars 4 is provided with two pairs of shoes 5 which slide along the T-shaped guides 3 which are fixed directly to cross members 6 of the shaft framework as shown in FIG. 5.

Each of the cars include supporting journals 7 for connection to pulling chains 8 trained over driving sprockets 9 of the driving unit 1 and sprockets iii of the take-up unit 2. Mounted adjacent the take-up unit are guides 11 for the pulling chains 8 (see PEG. 2) and the position of these guides is somewhat higher than the spacing of the cars 4.

The driving unit (FIG. 3) comprises an electric motor 12 having a reducer, the output shaft of which is coupled with driving gears 13 engaging toothed wheels 14 fitted on the shafts 9 of the sprockets and the gears 13 are carried by a common shaft 15.

As best shown in FIGS. 6-10, each car 4 includes a frame formed by two uprights 16 which are fastened to gether at their lower and upper ends by arch-like members 17 provided with stops 18. The uprights 16 are rigidly fastened with brackets 19 which. carry the journals 7 for suspension to the pulling chains 8.

In addition to the frame, the car is provided with an upper section 20 attached thereto and the upper section accommodates a table 21 travelling there together with its guard 22. The front side of the car is provided with guard plates 23 and 24.

The table 21 is secured to the head of a tubular rod 25 which is movable within an oil-filled cylinder 26 secured to the car frame. cylinder 26 is chamber 27, and its lower section houses a buffer spring 28 which rests on a screw cap or plug 29. Piston 30 of the cylinder incorporates a unidirectional throttle valve 31.

On the sides of the table 21 are provided shoes 32 which are movable along guides 33 secured to the frame uprights 16. The rear side of table 21 has a stop 34 and a drum 35 with a built-in spiral spring mounted on the table 21. A flexible rubberized belt 36 is trained about runningover rollers 37 and 38 of the table 21 and brackets 19, respectively and is wound over the, drum with the free end of the belt being fastened to the table 21 (FIG. 17). A deflecting bar 39 which programs the unloading is secured to the lower section of the car frame. The front of the car carries a channel 443 provided with holes adapted to receive pressure pins 41 and the heads thereof have push buttons 42.

In the illustrated embodiment provision is made for eleven pressure pins and each pin is provided with an appropriate numerical symbol. The pins 41 pass through holes of ribs 43 and 44 which serve as guides and the pins are fitted with return springs 45 and thrust washers 46 and 47 (FIG. 10). The washer 46, when pressed against the rib 43, prevents the pin deflection under the action of spring 45. The washer 47 together with thrust strip 48fixes the pin 41' in position. The strip 48 passes through a slot in a bracket 49 and rests on bent edge 50 of the bracket and a spring 51 has one end attached to the strip and the other to the table 21.

Unloading stops (FIGS. 12 and 13) are attached to the cross members 6 of the shaft framework by means of bolts 52. Each of the stops includes a body 53 having a plunger-type pushing electromagnet 54 mounted thereon. Head 55 of the elcctromagnet rod passes through a port in the lower wall of the body 53. The body is also provided with bores for receiving axle 56 of a lever 57 and axle 56 of a locker arm 59. The rocker arm, by means of a link 60, is connected with the lever 57 and carries a roller 61 which acts upon head 55 of the rod. Rollers 62 and 63 are provided on the ends of the lever 57 and rocker arm 59, respectively. The free end of the axle 58 carries a return spring 64 which acts upon the Located in the upper section of the V 7,

rocker arm 59. The extreme upper position of the rocker arm is limited by a stop d5 mounted on the wall of the body 53.

Each of the unloading stations is provided with a limit switch (not shown) actuated by the stem of one of the pins d1.

To receive loads a rolling table is installed at an aperture for the shaft and the table includes a stationary section 66 and a hinged section 67 (FIG. 4).

The conveyer operates as follows:

When driving unit 1 is activated, movement is imparted to the chains 3 and hence to the cars 4. While running over the upper driving sprockets the car passes by the shaft 15 and this is achieved by positioning the suspension journals 7 diagonally in plan, at the middle of car height. In case of a sudden breakage of the chains 8, the cars 4 drop to the limits determined by the clearances between the stops 18 of the car frames. The values of these clearances and width of the supports are selected so as to present no obstacle when the cars pass adjacent the drive and take-up units 1 and 2 respectively. When the chains break or become extremely loose at the lower section of the conveyer, where the cars are mutually shifted in the transverse direction and their stops cannot rest upon each other, the collapse of the chains is prevented by the guides 11.

To load the conveyor, books (or other loads) are placed on the belt 36. By pressing one of the push buttons 42, one of pins 41 whose position corresponds to the location of the limit switch at the unloading location is then also depressed. When the pin is shifted, the thrust washer 47 removes the strip 48 and passes therebelow. The strip 48 will prevent retrograde movement of the pin 41 and the latter will be fixed in an advanced depressed position. Thus an address of the unloading location is preset.

When a loaded car approaches the predetermined loading-unloading station, the stem of depressed pin 41 presses upon the lever of the electromagnetic stop limit switch and the lever switches on the current supply to the coil of the electromagnet 54:. The armature of the electromagnet is retracted, and the head 55 of its rod begins to press upon the roller 61 of the rocker arm. The geometric correlations of the four-link mechanism defined by lever 57, link 65 rocker arm 59 and body 53 are selected in such a way that with the rod of the electromagnet not being retracted (FIG. 14), lever 57 is approximately in a vertical position and the roller 63 of rocker arm 59 projects but slightly beyond the overall dimensions of the body 53. After the electromagnet 54 is activated (FIG. 15), rocker arm 59 is moved approximately to a horizontal position. In this position the roller 63 comes into contact with the deflecting bar 39 travelling in the direction of the car (as is shown by the arrow in FiG. 15). With the car moving, the bar 39 deflects the rocker arm 5% downwardly, thus raising the lever 57. With the car further in the downward direction the stop 34 of car table 21 acts upon the roller 62 of lever 57. The link 60 whose lower end rests upon the rocker arm 59 prevents the lever 57 from turning and the position of the rocker arm 59 is fixed by the roller 63 running over the bar 39. Geometrical correlations between the members of the mechanism are so selected that the geometrical axis of the link 60 approximately coincides with the geometrical axis of the upper part of the rocker arm 59 (as is shown in the position of FIG. 16).

By reason of the foregoing, a relatively slight force 7 applied to the roller 63 will maintain the table 21 at the level of the receiving device while the roller 62 engages the stop 34. Thus, the bar 32 of the conveyor car carries only a slight load. After the stem of pin 41 is no longer in contact with the limit switch, the current supply to the coils of electromagnet 54 will be arrested. Consequently, the electromagnet 54 is inactivated in the initial phase of the mechanism operation.

When the travelling table 21 and the car 4 shift relative to each other, the table damper does not operate as the oil flows freely through the radial holes of rod 25 and unidirectional valve 31.

As the lower section of the car moves relatively to the upper section fixed by the stop, the belt 36 drawn by roller 38 begins to unwind from the drum 35. The load in the car moves together with the belt to the aperture of the loading-unloading station and is delivered to the hinged section 67 of the receiving rolling table.

Simultaneously with the motion of car table 21 relatively to the car frame, the edge 50 deflects the strip 48 and the end thereof releases the thrust washer 47. Under the :action of the return spring 45, th pin 41 returns to its initial position and after the table is dropped, is ready to receive a new address.

When .the unloading is finished, the roller 63 disengages :from the deflecting bar 39. Under the action of the return spring 64, the rocker arm 5? returns to its initial position pulling link 60 which in its turn, pulls lever 57 and releases stop 34. Then, the table 21;, because of its own weight and the tension of the belt 36, also drops to the initial position and the unloading cycle of the conveyor car thereby is concluded.

The speed of the dropping of the table is decreased by a hydraulic damper (owing to the oil flow through the throttle va-lve 3-1) and buffer spring 28.

As is seen from the foregoing description, the unloading is effected without stopping the conveyer. The electromag-net 54 is actuated only for the short period of time required to actuate the stop mechanism. The conveyer address system provides a selective unloading of the cars and, if required, it makes possible the provision of unloading rat a number of loading-unloading stations, well above the number of pins 41, through the installation at unloading points of two or more limit switches connected in a proper manner.

The invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity to the showings in the drawings but changes and modifications may be made therein so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A conveyor assembly for handling articles compris ing .a vertical shaft having unloading stations located at spaced intervals throughout the height of the shaft, a drive unit and a take-up unit mounted in operative relationship to the shaft, two endless chains operably associated with said drive and take-up units whereby upon activation of the drive unit, the chains move upwardly and downwardly in the shaft, a plurality of cars, means hingedly connecting the cars to the chains =at spaced intervals therea'long, an article-carrying table for each car, an article unloading means for each table, means mounting the table for movement in a vertical direction relatively to that part of the car hingedly connected to the chains for operating said unloading means, and movzable stop means located at said unloading stations in the area of downward movement of the chains and cars operative for maintaining the table stationary with the moving chains and car at the unloading station through out the entire unloading operation of the unloading means of the table.

2. The conveyor assembly as claimed in claim 1 including means on each car for presetting the unloading operation at a particular unloading station and further means cooperable with such presetting means and the movable stop means at the particular unloading station for initiating the unloading of the articles.

3. The conveyor assembly as claimed in claim 1 including means for presetting the unloading operation at a particular unloading station, such means comprising spring-loaded pins mounted on each of said cars, axially spaced thrust washers on each pin, a locking strip for each pin, spring means connecting one end of said looking strip to the article-carrying table, the other end of said strip engaging one of said thrust washers for fixing such pin in a depressed position and means cooperable with such pin and the movable stop means at the particular unloading station for initiating the unloading of the articles.

4. The conveyor assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said article unloading means includes a drum carried by said table, means operably connected with said drums for counteracting the rotation thereof, defleeting roller means on said table and car, a flexible movement transmitting member trained about said drum and roller means, and means securing one end of said movement transmitting member to said table.

5. The conveyor assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which each table is provided with a single-action hydraulic damping means.

6. The conveyor assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which each drive and take-up unit includes a pair of spaced sprockets about which said chains are trained and said means hingedly connecting the cars to said chains being two perpendicularly connected frames provided with diagonally disposed fastening members to said chains.

7. The conveyor assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said means hingedly connecting said cars to said chains are located approximately at the height of one third of said cars.

8. The conveyor assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the upper and-lower ends of each car includes stop means to arrest the car movement in the event of damage to said chains and rigid guide means for the chains adjacent said take-up unit.

9. A conveyor assembly for handling articles comprising a vertical shaft having unloading stations located at spaced intervals throughout the height of the shaft, a drive unit and a take-up unit mounted in operable relationship to the shaft, two endless chains operably associated with said drive and take-up units whereby upon activation of the drive unit the chains move upwardly and downwardly in the shaft, a plurality of cars, means 'hingedly connecting the cars to the chains at spaced intervals therealong, a deflecting bar for each car, an article-carrying table for each car, an article unloading means for each table, means mounting the table for movement in a vertical direction relatively to that part of the car hingedly connected to the chains for operating said unloading means, a stop bracket for each table, movable stop means located at said unloading stations in the area of downward movement of the chains and cars operative for maintaining the table stationary relative to the moving chains and car at the unloading station throughout the entire unloading operation of the unloading means of the table, such movable stop means including a four-link mechanism defined by a springbiased rocker arm, an intermediate link, and a lever, electromagnetic pusher means operably coupled to said rocker arm for displacing the same from an initial position, and the free end of said lever being adapted to engage the stop bracket on the table with the mutual positon of the four lin'k mechanism being fixed by the rocker arm which is actuated by the deflecting bar of the car.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/06 Brown 198-153 4/33 Olson 198-155 

1. A CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY FOR HANDLING ARTICLES COMPRISING A VERTICAL SHAFT HAVING UNLOADING STATIONS LOCATED AT SPACED INTERVALS THROUGHOUT THE HEIGHT OF THE SHAFT, A DRIVE UNIT AND A TAKE-UP UNIT MOUNTED IN OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP TO THE SHAFT, TWO ENDLESS CHAINS OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DRIVE AND TAKE-UP UNITS WHEREBY UPON ACTIVATION OF THE DRIVE UNIT, THE CHAINS MOVE UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY IN THE SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF CARS, MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTING THE CARS TO THE CHAINS AT SPACED INTERVALS THEREALONG, AN ARTICLE-CARRYING TABLE FOR EACH CAR, AN ARTICLE UNLOADING MEANS FOR EACH TABLE, MEANS MOUNTING THE TABLE FOR MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION RELATIVELY TO THAT PART OF THE CAR HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO 